The Gatekeeper
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Level I January 18, 2013 - Level 1, Issue 09
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| Dear CGS Level I Parent, |  The Atrium session this week (January 20, 22, 24) will mark the fourth and last session that Level I has been considering "Infancy Narratives." Infancy narratives are Gospel accounts about Jesus' birth and childhood. The four narratives that the children have considered this year are: Annunciation, Visitation, Adoration of the Magi, and Presentation in the Temple (find their scripture references in the article below). Generally, Level I children (age 3-6) haven't yet developed a good understanding of time and place. For example, the past is generally captured by the simple concept of "yesterday," and the future by "tomorrow." The Earth is big, and time is long. So, various Level I presentations relate to time and place in order to plant a seed that will slowly grow, breaking ground in Level II and blossoming in Level III. In this seed is the knowledge that Jesus is a real person that lived in a real time and in a real place. This is a very important foundation to the child's appreciation of the gift of the Incarnation: Heaven and Earth united through Jesus Christ, true human and true God.
Peace,
Lina Hilko (editor)
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Infancy Narratives
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The infancy narratives themselves are not very explicit in text. They invite the children (and adults!) to listen to these stories over and over again - to gain the richness of the mysteries they contain. As facilitators and catechists, we invite the children to enter these stories and respond to them in a personal way. It is what Sofia Cavalletti, the founder of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, refers to as "a 'living' reading of the text" in which we are "personally involved." (The Religious Potential of the Child, page 110)
Advent and Christmas are about a past event, about the first-fruits of the fulfillment of God's plan. But Advent and Christmas are also about today, as we each actively collaborate with God to build God's kingdom. And Advent and Christmas are about living in hope for the Parousia, the time when God will be all in all. So, you are in these stories today and tomorrow and every day until God is all in all. As a living participant of each of these stories, what do you hear? How do you respond to God's message and gifts?
These are the questions we hope the children will embrace for themselves upon being presented with these texts again and again, for many years.
For reference, the infancy narratives are:
Annunciation, Luke 1:26-35
Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, Luke 1:39-49, 56
Birth of Jesus & Adoration of the Shepherds, Luke 2:1-20
Adoration of the Magi, Matthew 2:1-12
Presentation in the Temple, Luke 2:22-34(34 through the word "Israel"), 36-40
Flight into Egypt, Matthew 2:13-14 (Level II but not Level I)
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Jesus Was Jewish?!
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Jesus was Jewish? This question is fresh on my mind because it came up in two different ways during the presentation I facilitated this past Thursday in Level III. (It also came up with the Sunday Atrium.) We were reflecting on Baptism. The reflection was so rich, in and of itself, and I felt sad for not having enough time to explore all the tangential questions that kept coming up.
To me, it feels like so many CGS presentations try to communicate that Jesus was Jewish. (I won't list them out, but take my word for it.) And so, it caught me off guard last Thursday to have it be such a foreign concept, not just to one or two children, but to all six. After some debate, one person said, "Well, yes he was Jewish, but ... not really Jewish ... I don't think." Another speculated, "It doesn't make sense. If he was Jewish, why aren't we all Jewish? Why did we start a new religion?"
Well, the good news (if I pray for patience) is that we actually have presentations in Level III that help us understand all that history and help us connect deeply with our Jewish roots. Nonetheless, as I sat down to write this newsletter, I thought that maybe the Spirit inspired those very questions from the Level III children that day so that I could invite Level I parents this day to collaborate on this confusing topic.
I don't mean that today I'm asking you to sit down and give a thorough geography and history lesson to your three year old. Of course not! But this is a very confusing point to all sorts of people (even adults), and it's good to be aware of the topic so that, over the many years of parenting, you find those wonderful opportunities to help clarify the point in a variety of ways. What we do in catechesis simply can't be enough.
Why does it matter? Well, I'm sure for all sorts of reasons. But one of my "favorites," being a Level III catechist, is that we talk so much about each person's role in building toward Parousia, the time when God will be all in all. To achieve such unity and peaceful and loving communion in the world, we really benefit from understanding what already binds so many of us together, rather than focusing on divisions or labels. I like that Level III studies Abraham, a person who actually connects the three largest religions of the world: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. I like that Level III studies Jewish history and worship so we see that our Liturgy derives directly from Jewish worship in the Synagogue. When we know what connects us, and even get to cherish and celebrate what connects us, I've got to believe we move closer to Parousia. What connects us nourishes our ability to live in joyful hope of the coming of God's Kingdom.
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Feel free to comment on this information to Lina Hilko, LHilko@aol.com, the editor and/or Kate Lynch, kolynchdre@gmail.com, St. Teresa's Director of Religious Education. Thanks!
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